Homage to History

Guest Designer
Brooks Brothers

Thom Browne, known for hiking up pant hems, unveiled his first collection for Brooks Brothers last fall.

"I grew up wearing Brooks Brothers and always thought it was cool. Of course, Brooks Brothers needed someone to kick things up a bit, but I want to make sure that what I design feels respectful to the brand. I also want to make people see it in a cooler, younger way. So I dug through the archives—they did the coolest things back in the day—and reworked the fit of the old sack suit. I'm going to the edge, not over it.

A big company measures success on how a product does commercially, and it's been doing really well. For me, it has been refreshing to do things that more people can actually buy. I signed on to do four seasons, but it is important to do something that isn't going to just be around for a couple of years, then gone. I want to establish something that can live on past my involvement in it."

Peter Yang

A version of this article appeared in the March 2008 issue of Fast Company magazine.